News

President Rajapaksa is new Commonwealth Chair- in- Office

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President Mahinda Rajapaksa assumed the position of the Commonwealth Chairman-in-Office succeeding the Australian Prime Minister for the next two years, at the 22nd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Colombo today (15th November 2013).

All the 53 member-countries were represented at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

His Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, officially opened CHOGM today.

The CHOGM is the Commonwealth’s ultimate policy and decision-making forum. Commonwealth leaders meet to discuss global and Commonwealth issues such as international peace and security, democracy, human rights, health and the environment, and to agree on collective policies and initiatives.

Sri Lanka is among the oldest members of the 54 member Commonwealth of Nations, being one of its founders since it gained independence in 1948.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the 5th President of Sri Lanka. He established a record in Sri Lankan political history with being the first Executive President to lead his party to a landslide victory in Parliamentary Elections held just over two months after being elected for a second term of office as Executive President with an overwhelming majority of 1,842,749, polling 6,015,934 votes in January, 2010.

This saw the Sri Lankan electorate recognizing him as the national leader who liberated the country from the terrorism of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and set the country on the path to peace, stronger democracy and rapid economic development.

He was elected as the Chairman of the eight-member South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) at the 15th SAARC Summit held in Colombo in August 2008, taking over the Chair of SAARC from India. He relinquished his position at the 16th Summit to Prime Minister of Bhutan, Jigmi Thinley.

He was also Chairman of G15 from 2010-2012.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa pursues a pragmatic foreign policy, committed to the principles of Non-Alignment and maintaining friendly relations with all nations.

Technical Exchange Mission from Sri Lanka Visits Canada

As a part an ongoing programme between Canada and Sri Lanka, to assist the Government of Sri Lanka in implementing its Official Languages Policy, a 15 member official delegation comprising officials from the Ministry of National Languages and Social Integration, Department of Official Languages and University Grants Commission visited Canada from September 27 to October 11, 2013.This is the 3rd such group to visit Canada. The visit provided opportunity for the visiting delegation to study and learn from the Canadian bilingual programme and exchange information on the implementation of the programme in Sri Lanka.

The National Languages Project in Sri Lanka is a joint initiative of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Sri Lankan Ministry of National languages & Social Integration. This project is managed by Agriteam Canada in association with the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute of Ottawa.

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Reflection of Sri Lanka

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World needs no policing by a few States – President at UNGA

The world needs no policing by a few States, particularly when the UN is mandated to ensure international security, through multilateral engagement, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said on September 24th 2013, addressing the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The President said it is disturbing to observe the growing trend in the international arena, of interference by some, in the internal matters of developing countries, in the guise of security, and as guardians of human rights.

Sri Lankan Government Scholarships for foreign students

Sri Lanka is offering Scholarships to foreign students to pursue undergraduate/ postgraduate studies in the Sri Lankan universities.

One hundred scholarships are being offered in different disciplines worldwide. Information with regard to courses offered could be obtained from the Sri Lanka High Commission, Ottawa( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

The closing date for receipt of applications is on or before September 30, 2013.

Mirrored Images – An Anthology of Sri Lankan Poetry Edited by Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha Launched in Canada

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A recently published book “Mirrored Images - An Anthology of Sri Lankan Poetry” Edited by Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha was launched in Toronto at an event organized by the Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa and, the Consulate General’s Office in Toronto. The Anthology brings together the poetry of 89 poets including translations from Sinhala and Tamil together with poems written in English.

High Commissioner’s interview with Boston Lanka News Channel

Press Statement issued by High Commissioner on the recently concluded Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group ( CMAG) meeting and related developments.

There has been wide media coverage on the recent Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meeting held in London, UK, and the statements made by Canada on Sri Lanka hosting the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November 2013.

The High Commission of Sri Lanka is compelled to issue a statement, as it is important for the public to be provided with the relevant information which would enable them to form their own opinion.

Canada-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group reconstituted in Ottawa

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The High Commissioner Chitranganee Wagiswara hosted a Dinner Meeting at the Official Residence to welcome the Members of the reconstituted Canada-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group.